The curious case of Mark Borowiecki’s season

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 31: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Mark Borowiecki (74) keeps eyes on the play during third period National Hockey League action between the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators on January 31, 2020, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 31: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Mark Borowiecki (74) keeps eyes on the play during third period National Hockey League action between the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators on January 31, 2020, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – JANUARY 31: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Mark Borowiecki (74) keeps eyes on the play during third period National Hockey League action between the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators on January 31, 2020, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – JANUARY 31: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Mark Borowiecki (74) keeps eyes on the play during third period National Hockey League action between the Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators on January 31, 2020, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mark Borowiecki for a long time was a defensive defenceman for the Ottawa Senators this season he’s taken his offensive game to another level.

Last season was a particularly bad one for the then 29-year old bruising defenceman. He only put up a total of five points, notching only a single goal.

He wasn’t very good defensively and was a -12 to show for it.

But this season he started on the right foot and hasn’t looked back. He now has career highs all across the board. With seven goals and 18 points, this is by far his most productive season offensively.

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One remarkable stat, which is often overlooked by analysts and writers, is his +2 goal differential while on the ice. Which shows that he’s playing responsibly and not just rushing up the ice, looking to add to his point totals, not caring about defending his own zone.

He is tied for fourth in the league with Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, with a total of 185 hits this season thus far.

Let’s compare Borowiecki and Wilson for a minute. I know, one of them is a defenceman and the other a forward, but stick with me.

Borowiecki has 50 games played while Wilson has two more, for 52, remember their tied for hits. Wilson has 73 penalty minutes while Borowiecki has only 56. This is very good on Boro’s books because it shows management that he can hit hard, but knows when not to cross the line.

He’s sure to garner a long look from general managers around the league, looking for a gritty defenceman who can play solid defence and throw his body around too.

It will be interesting to see how the trade deadline plays out for him and especially the whole Ottawa Senators team. Everything is kind of in the air right now for the rebuilding team, and nobody on the team is really sure what the near future will look like.